Actin dynamics is essential for myosin-based transport of membrane organelles.
Actin filaments that serve as "rails" for the myosin-based transport of membrane organelles [1-4] continuously turn over by concurrent growth and shortening at the opposite ends [5]. Although it is known that dynamics of actin filaments is essential for many of the actin cytoskeleton functions, the role of such dynamics in myosin-mediated organelle transport was never studied before. Here, we addressed the role of turnover of actin filaments in the myosin-based transport of membrane organelles by treating cells with the drugs that suppress actin-filament dynamics and found that such a suppression significantly inhibited organelle transport along the actin filaments without inhibiting their intracellular distribution or the activity of the myosin motors. We conclude that dynamics of actin filaments is essential for myosin-based transport of membrane organelles and suggest a previously unknown role of actin-filament dynamics in providing the "rails" for continuous organelle movement resulting in the increased distances traveled by membrane organelles along the actin filaments.
Semenova
Irina
I
Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06032-1507, USA.
Burakov
Anton
A
Berardone
Neda
N
Zaliapin
Ilya
I
Slepchenko
Boris
B
Svitkina
Tatyana
T
Kashina
Anna
A
Rodionov
Vladimir
V
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D047630:Depsipeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008547:Melanophores / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009218:Myosins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015739:Nocodazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism; D014981:Xenopus
D047630:Depsipeptides; D010860:Pigments, Biological; C057531:jasplakinolide; D009218:Myosins; D015739:Nocodazole